Soeharto 'expected to cooperate'
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Justice Muladi urged former president Soeharto on Thursday to cooperate and not hamper the investigation into his wealth, which many people believe was amassed illegally during his 32-year rule.
"Pak Harto is expected to cooperate with the investigators," Muladi said after a limited ministerial meeting on security and political affairs. "He should not cause difficulties."
Muladi did not elaborate.
Former president Soeharto recently challenged anyone with corroborating evidence to report the banks in which he allegedly has saving accounts to the Attorney General's Office.
Also on Thursday, the deputy chairman of the Supreme Advisory Council, Achmad Tirtosudiro, called Soeharto to facilitate the investigation. He pointed out the stance would be to Soeharto's benefit, given how many people had now lost confidence in him.
He cited a recent poll, co-organized by the University of Indonesia and a private institution, which said that the majority of people did not believe Soeharto's statement that he had not even one cent in overseas bank accounts.
"The result of the poll ... should be responded to positively," said Achmad, who is also acting chairman of the Association of Indonesian Moslem Intellectuals.
In a televised statement on Sept. 6, Soeharto denied allegations that he had a personal fortune worth trillions of rupiah stashed both overseas and at home.
Separately, Supreme Advisory Council chairman A.A. Baramuli called on the public to be patient and wait for the completion of the investigation.
"It's just started. We should not ask the attorney general (Andi M. Ghalib) to resign just like that," he said.
The chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN), Amien Rais, said on Thursday that investigators should not have any difficulties tracing the whereabouts of Soeharto's money abroad.
"If President B.J. Habibie's administration is serious about the investigation, it could ask for assistance from the United States central bank," he said, as quoted by Antara in Canberra.
He admitted that he had obtained necessary information from Indonesian banking circles that the U.S. central bank, the Federal Reserve, had a complete record of all traffic of foreign currency worth more than U.S.$100,000.
Amien suggested the government should not delay the investigation to prevent the process from becoming even more difficult.
"The government should move quickly and seize all Soeharto's tangible assets, including his children's luxurious houses here and abroad," he said.
"The government should also immediately freeze the assets of Soeharto's hundreds of corporations, registered under the names of his foundations," he added.
He said he would seek an opportunity to meet the President and report his findings and push for Habibie's to demonstrate his commitment to the investigation.
"If necessary, I'll go on to the streets and demonstrate again," he said.
Amien dismissed the possibility of joining a team of independent experts aimed at helping the government investigators' ongoing investigation.
"People have since the beginning doubted the team's credibility as its leaders, Attorney General Andi Muhammad Ghalib and Coordinating Minister for Development Supervision and State Administrative Reforms Hartarto, were former Soeharto aides," he said.
Ghalib said on Wednesday that the team would establish an independent board of experts to help the investigators with details of steps to be taken.
Amien, secretary-general of the National Commission on Human Rights Baharuddin Lopa, Moslem scholar Nurcholish Madjid, corporate lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis and government critic Ali Sadikin, have been mentioned as possible members of the board. (imn)